Wednesday, April 1, 2015

A Night at the Opera - not really wordless


Obligatory selfie before the opera...

My view of Bowling Green from the steps of VanMeter Auditorium at Western Kentucky University

Outside, chilly selfie while I waited for the fella to park the car (I had on heels and insisted on being dropped off...princess moment, I know)

Cool door with architectural interest at VanMeter

More interesting architectural details on the building

A side view of the entrance to VanMeter - this building always reminds me of European architecture


Love the details on the columns out front

A view of the stage from our seats

Check out the selfie that the fella snapped for us before the opera began - he's got mad skills. :)

I didn't take many photos during the performance out of respect for my fellow audience members, but I did snap a few toward the end.


My review:I'd never seen an opera before, so this was my very first experience with it other than the music often played in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons. (I know; I'm so highbrow, right?)  The Marriage of Figaro was not at all what I expected, mainly because it was humorous. In fact, I didn't realize that the opera was ever funny. Since I'm not really a fan of slapstick comedy, this was probably not the best opera for me to see first.  I would've preferred something darker and more dramatic. This was a student production, and it was actually performed in English with some added spoken dialogue to make it easier for the audience to follow. I'd actually like to see an opera that is in the original Italian, just so that I could experience it as it should be experienced. The college students did a good job overall, and the set and costumes were absolutely beautiful. Since I've seen some other productions at WKU, it was obvious that this set and costume combination of this production was of professional quality. The lead female role of Suzanna was played by a student whose talent was heads above that of her peers. She made it look and sound easy; she was just so natural. I had trouble understanding some of the other singers because of enunciation issues; at times, I felt like I only caught every fourth word or so. In particular, one character had a very pronounced lisp that bothered me greatly as she sang. At first, I thought it might be an affectation of her character, but I'm afraid that it was just a disability. While I commend her for her efforts,I don't appreciate her performance in this show. It was very distracting and frustrating as an audience member.

The short version: I'm glad I went, but I still want to see a more traditional opera in its original form. I'm not sure I'll ever truly appreciate the art form since the shrillness and repetition of it get on my nerves, but I want to give it at least one more shot.  Much thanks to the fella for the wonderful idea and for taking us out for a fab evening!

2 comments:

  1. I saw Madame Butterfly at the Nashville Opera and it had subtitles. I really loved it!!! It was very excellent. I would also be distracted by poor singing or something else so I feel ya!

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  2. i just can't do opera. you look like a queen. complete outfit envy & the necklaces. i die. i mean i swoon.

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